Method of and apparatus for producing hydrogen

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of separating hydrocarbon and gaseous mixtures and, more particularly, to methods of producing hydrogen from hydrocarbon gaseous mixtures and apparatus for implementing such methods.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A method of producing hydrogen from a gaseous mixture including essentially hydrogen, methane and olefins comprising the following steps: cooling said gaseous mixture in heat exchangers by stages to temperature levels sufficient to ensure removal of the olefins and a portion of the methane from the gaseous mixture in the form of liquid condensate, with said liquid condensate being separated from the gaseous mixture at each cooling stage,   feeding the remaining gaseous mixture comprised of hydrogen and methane into heat exchangers for further cooling by stages to temperature levels sufficient to provide the obtainment of the hydrogen of 85-97 mole percent purities, with the resulting liquid hydrogen-admixed methane condensate being separated at each cooling stage,   feeding said liquid condensate comprised of liquid hydrogen-admixed methane for the purpose of evaporization into said heat exchangers of matching temperature levels countercurrently against the gaseous mixture under separation, as a result of which the liquid condensate is being converted to gaseous hydrogen-admixed methane,   
     
     
       expanding the resulting gaseous hydrogen-admixed methane with the use of vortex effect, as a result of which a cold stream and a hot stream of gaseous hydrogen-admixed methane are being produced, separately feeding said cold and hot streams of gaseous hydrogen-admixed methane into said heat exchangers of matching temperature levels countercurrently against the gaseous mixture under separation,   expanding the hydrogen 85-97 mole percent purities with the use of vortex effect, as a result of which a cold stream of substantially pure hydrogen and a hot stream of hydrogen-admixed methane are being produced,   separately feeding said cold and hot streams into said heat exchangers of matching temperature levels countercurrently against the gaseous mixture under separation.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus for implementing the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a unit adapted for removal of the olefins from the starting gaseous mixture and comprising heat exchangers to provide cooling the gaseous mixture under separation by stages, and separators matching same in temperature levels to provide separating the resulting gas-liquid mixture into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream at each cooling stage, and having a gas-containing section and a liquid-containing section,   a unit adapted for the separation of the remaining gaseous mixture into methane-admixed hydrogen and hydrogen-admixed methane and comprising heat exchangers to provide further cooling the remaining gaseous mixture by stages, and separators matching same in temperature levels to provide separating the resulting gas-liquid mixture into a gaseous stream and a liquid stream at each cooling stage, and also a first vortex tube designed for separating the hydrogen-admixed methane into a cold stream and a hot stream of hydrogen-admixed methane and having a nozzle inlet, cold and hot ends, and a second vortex tube designed for separating the methane-admixed hydrogen into a cold stream of substantialy pure hydrogen and a hot stream of hydrogen-admixed methane and having a nozzle inlet, cold and hot ends,   said heat exchangers of both units comprising tubes designed for the products resulting from the separation of the remaining gaseous mixture to be separately passed therethrough, and forming between themselves intertubular spaces designed for the passage of the gaseous mixture under separation.   said intertubular spaces of all said heat exchangers being interconncted between themselves via the gas-containing sections of said separators.   the liquid-containing sections of the separators of the unit for the separation of the remaining gaseous mixture into methane-admixed hydrogen and hydrogen-admixed methane, being connected via one of said tubes of the heat exchangers of matching temperature levels to the nozzle inlet of the vortex tube designed for separating the hydrogen-admixed methane into a cold stream and a hot stream of hydrogen-admixed methane,   the hot and cold ends of said vortex tube being separately connected to other said tubes of the heat exchangers of matching temperature levels,   the gas-containing section of the last of the separators of the unit for the separation of the remaining gaseous mixture into methane-admixed hydrogen and hydrogen-admixed methane being connected to the nozzle inlet of the vortex tube designed for separating the methane-admixed hydrogen into a cold stream of substantially pure hydrogen and a hot stream of hydrogen-admixed methane,   the cold and hot ends of said vortex tube being separately connected to other said tubes of the heat exchangers of matching temperature levels.